There was point guard Josh Giddey, hours before the game against his former team Saturday, shooting three-pointers under the watchful eye of Bulls player-development coach/shooting specialist Peter Patton.
With the Thunder in town for the Bulls’ home opener, it was another reminder of what the team gave up to acquire Giddey in July and, for many outside the organization, what they didn’t get back in return for guard Alex Caruso, specifically a draft pick.
Just don’t ask the Bulls about it because they seem to be comfortable with the company line.
Vice president Arturas Karnisovas always has maintained that they didn’t get a pick back because that’s how much they valued Giddey, and all Giddey’s new teammates care about is what he has added to the offense.
Guard Zach LaVine compared Giddey to Ricky Rubio, while veteran big man Nikola Vucevic has raved about how perfectly Giddey fits into what they want to do offensively.
“I think [Giddey’s] playmaking is huge and a thing that is going to help us a lot,” Vucevic said. “He makes passes that not many people can see, and I think his size is something that people underestimate a little bit.
“For him, it’s the same as it is for us, just getting used to playing next to each other. As a team, we need to build that chemistry, but I think he’s a player that can help us a lot, especially with his vision. We want to play fast, and I think that’s his style, as well.”
That doesn’t mean the deal didn’t leave some scars.
Caruso was turning 30 and going into the last year of his contract, but he has all the intangibles a coach covets. That’s why Bulls coach Billy Donovan was asked before the game about his conversation with the front office when it let him know that Caruso was being shipped out.
“That’s hard, it’s hard, especially when you’ve been with him for three years and the relationship we built,” Donovan said. “The one thing for Alex in all this for me is I just hope that he’s really, really going to get compensated. He obviously got a great situation, but there’s also his age and some of the things he’s had to deal with health-wise. He’s always played banged up and hurt.
“They came to me and thought this was best for a variety of reasons. I believe this is Alex’s last year of his contract, but they didn’t share with me the representation conversations.”
Fore!
There has been a lot of discussion about the number of three-pointers being taken in the first week of the season. Donovan’s take is, “Welcome to the evolution.”
“It’s probably no different than golf, right?’’ he said. ‘‘The equipment has gotten a lot better than it was 20 years ago, and golf balls are different. Everything was played a lot closer to the basket [20 years ago], so the execution piece became so critical. The screening, reading screens, the timing, it was all execution. I like the game the way it is now. I think they’re trying to at least balance the scoring piece.”
Decision day
Guard Lonzo Ball was back in the rotation against the Thunder after he was given the front end of the back-to-back off Friday.
Because of his knee issues, Ball will remain sidelined for one of the games in the back-to-backs, and the next decision about which one he plays in will be made Nov. 6, when the Bulls travel to Dallas to play the Mavericks, then return home for the Timberwolves the next night.